Locomotive-tender coupling



No. 622,775. Patented Apr. II, I899. s. .l. MEEKER.

LOOOMOTIVE TENDER COUPLING. (Application filed Aug. 28, 1898.) (No Model.)

2 Sheets-Shed I.

WITNESSES: v INVENTOR ATTORNEY THE NORR s PETERS c0 RM T O, WASH NGTDN, u c

No. 622,775. Patented Apr. ll, I899. r S. J. ME'EKER.

LOGOIIOTIVE TENDER COUPLING. (Application filed Au 23, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' shank, as shown.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN J. MEEKER, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

LOCOMOTlVE-TENDER COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 622,775, dated April 11, 1899.

Application filed August 23, 1898- To'aZl 1071,0112, it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN J. MEEKER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, Essex county, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locomotive-Tender Couplings, of which the following description, taken in connection with the drawings herewith accompanying, is a specification.

This invention relates particularly to couplings for use on locomotive-tenders. It is desirable that couplings of this class should be supported in connection with the tender so as to be capable of having a lateral movement when the train is passing on a curve and after being uncoupled from a connecting-coupler be left in a central position relative to the tender and in proper position to receive a coupler in connection therewith.

Having this in mind, my invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter set forth in detail and pointed out in the claims, whereby the desirable features above mentioned are secured.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side View of a tender-coupler and its supporting-bracket embodying my invention, the same being partly broken away. Figs. 2 and 3 are plan views of the same with the bracket in section, showing different positions of the coupler.

To explain in detail, a represents a bracketplate which is adapted to be secured by bolts or other suitable fastening means upon a locomotive-tender in proper position to support a coupler. This bracket-plate is provided with a chamber a in its face side, in which the shank b of a coupler b is pivotally supported by means of a pin 0, which latter passes through the walls of the bracket-plate and through an opening b in the coupler- The coupler b, which may be of any suitable construction, consists, as herein shown, of a draw-head of the verticalplane type, having a guard-arm 11 a swinging knuckle b and a vertically-movable lockingpin h all as found in the well-known Smillie coupler.

According to my invention the pin-hole b in the coupler-shank is made elongated, so as to allow alongitudinal movement of the shank within the chamber a, whereby the coupler Serial No. 689,298. (No model.)

-when drawn to its outward limit of movement as allowed by said elongated opening may have a lateral movement and when moved backward to its limit in the opposite direction will be caused to assume a substantially central position to insure its proper coupling with another coupler.

The chamber a in the bracket-plate a is of such width at its rear end as to receive the coupler-shank freely therein without binding, but sufficiently close to cooperate with the pivot-pin c and cause the coupler when moved backward into the chamber, as shown in Fig. 3, to assume a central position for coupling with another coupler. The sides of the chamber a gradually increase in width toward its front end, so as to allow the coupler when drawn forward or outward, as shown in Fig. 2, to have a desired lateral movement.

The upper and lower wallsof the chamber a in the bracket-plate a are each formed with a projecting curved edge a and the coupler is formed with correspondingly-curved shoulders b on its upper and lower surfaces, which are adapted to engage with the said projecting edges of the bracket-plate and limit the backward thrust or movement of the coupler when the cars are brought together in the act of coupling or otherwise. The adjacent surfaces of the coupler and the bracket-plate are so formed relative to each other that the said projecting edges (1 of the bracket-plate receive the full backward thrust of the coupler, the elongated pin-opening b in the couplershank also being so arranged that its front end will not engage with the pin 0, as shown in Fig. 3, thus relieving the latter of any strain thereon upon the backward movement of the coupler.

In operation it will be understood that the coupler during the drawing of a connected car or train is drawn outward to its full limit, as shown in Fig. 2, whereby it may have any desired lateral movement, and when the cars are brought together in the stopping of a train for the purpose of uncoupling the coupler is thereby moved backward'into the chamber at and caused to assume a central position relative to the tender in the manner described, whereby it will be in proper position to insure its ready and proper coupling with another coupler.

Having thus set forth my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure'by Letters nal movement of the coupler relative to the pin, and the side walls of the said chamber being tapering and cooperating with the pivotpin in centering the coupler upon the backward movement of the latter.

2. In a car-coupler, the combination, with a draw-head provided with a shank having an opening therein, of asupporting-bracket having a. chamber to receive said shank of the draw-head, a pivot-pin connected With the bracket-plate and extending through said opening in the coupler-shank, the said opening being elongated to permit of a longitudinal movement of the coupler, and the Walls of the said chamber being tapering to permit of a lateral movement of the coupler when drawn outward, and cooperating with the pivot-pin in centering the coupler when moved backward, and means for limiting the backward movement of the coupler to prevent strain upon the pivot-pin in such direction.

. ,STEPHEN J. MEEKER. Witnesses:

CHAS. F. DANE, E. STEVENS.- 

